doing

We’ve been doing quite a bit of traveling lately. Apart from meeting wonderful people and seeing great crafts there are also these moments and views that seem so utterly english – at least to an outsider’s eye

The beginning of spring,

today, March 21st, and it is grey as so often in England. Even more reason to support Rausfrauen’s “spring awakening” call (http://rausfrauen.tumblr.com/post/17336386002) to decorate and enliven our towns with “fancy colorful art in the open space .” And so we knitted, crochet, embroidered and sewed to provide our fellow overworked and stressed out academic colleagues with a cheerful spring morning smile …

… battled against and with cleaning and security staff but so far our “hazardous” knitted ladybirds and crochet flowers are still in place.

The ladybird is watching and we are following …

It has seen everything. Has been everywhere. Their names range from A. Greig and Ajaypal S. to William T. II and William V. and the 496 others in between that represent all the first names of fortune 500 CEOs.

The “lady” knows about global trade and exploitation. Indeed, on the shopping bags of a major UK retailer, it’s been part of everyday British consumer culture and experience.

Also, like this plant growing on a tree (“foundation”) on the Appalachian trail (hiking in North Carolina after AAG), we’re happy to announce that we just got awarded a first small grant to take our research and interests to North America.

So …. North Carolina, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nova Scotia ….. here we come …. Keep in touch and let’s all re-meet and get together soon again!

… and, in line with some of our activities re yarn bombing and geocaching ladybirds in Exeter, UK … geocaching on local organic marmalade in Asheville, NC, USA as part of a (unrelated but nevertheless relevant and similar) follow the things initiative.

Photos of the work produced in the Geographies of Craft and Crafting sessions at the AAG 2012 conference can be found on our flicker site. The work, spare bags, needs, threads and post-it notes were subsequently cleared by the cleaning staff where Doreen and I were staying … who knows where they are now….

Empire State: if you go, make sure you do so just a bit before sunset so that you can see the city change from daylight to nighttime

Manhattan Bridge: best view for any photography of downtown and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Tours:

Generally, I find the boroughs (i.e. outside Manhattan) so much more interesting:

The “obvious”: Brooklyn Bridge (Manhattan –> Brooklyn): on your left (north) is DUMBO (down under the manhatten bridge overpass) located between the B & M bridges: interesting tiny neighborhood of old warehouses that underwent massive gentrification under the leadership of David Walentas (Two Trees management). Really nice views of the City and B bridge from the waterfront park.

The less “obvious”: 7 train towards Queens, get off first stop (Vernon Blvd) to check LIC waterfront –> get back on train to see 5Pointz graffiti from 7 train (between 21 St & Court Sq) –> off Court Sq and walk west on Jackson Ave (towards Manhattan) –> turn into Davis Street (left, under the train) to check out Davis Street Art Building Graffiti –> turn around to go and see 5Pointz from Crane Street entrance –> back again for a visit of PS1 art museum (22-25 Jackson/46th Ave)

Option 1 “International Express” i.e. 7 train: head back to the 7 train and take it to Jackson Heights for South Asian food and other goodies (also really great at night) –> even further along the 7 Train is Flushing Meadows Corona Park & the Queens Museum of Art which houses the largest NYC panorama: a must see!Option 2 bus 62 from Jackson Ave towards Brooklyn: will take you from LIC –> Greenpoint (polish)–> Williamsburg (arts-led gentrification) –> Williamsburg (hasidic jewish) –> Clinton Hill/Fort Greene (African American, transforming) –> dtown Brooklyn. Get off at the various neighborhoods for great food & shopping, waterfront views and new hipster high-rises 😉 I used to take the 62 all the way to Red Hook but looks like you might now need to transfer dtown. This is also the route of the G subway but the bus is much more interesting as you’ll be able to see the different neighborhoods.